Pregnancy Guide to Caffeine at Dunkin’ Donuts

The current pregnancy guideline regarding caffeine is to avoid caffeine as much as possible. However, the March of Dimes and several other sources say keeping your caffeine under 200mg a day is perfectly acceptable. So, how much coffee is 200mg? Well, it depends on the coffee. Did you know that a shot of espresso has less caffeine than a cup of coffee? Did you know that “light roast” coffees have more caffeine than “dark roast” coffees? Did you know that a 14oz cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee has 178mg of caffeine? Well, that’s why I’m publishing this article: to answer your caffeine questions regarding Dunkin’ Donuts coffee beverages.

So, what’s the deal with coffee coffee?

According to CaffeineInformer.com, Dunkin’ Donuts regular, brewed coffees contain the following amounts of caffeine:

Small (10 floz): 132mg

Medium (14 floz): 178mg

Large (20 floz): 244mg

Extra large (24 floz): 284mg

As you can see, only the small and medium sizes of regular, brewed coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts contain a pregnancy-safe level of caffeine for the day.

But what about the other coffee drinks?

Espresso has 75mg of caffeine per shot. Lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, and other espresso-based drinks at Dunkin’ Donuts contain caffeine as follows:

Small (10oz): 75mg, 1 shot of espresso

Medium (14oz): 97mg, approximately 1.5 shots of espresso

Large (20oz): 151mg, 2 shots of espresso

With Dunkin’ Donuts espresso-based beverages, all sizes are within pregnancy-safe caffeine limits for the day. This includes all iced espresso-based beverages.

Dunkin’ Donuts also sells espresso on its own. It has the same caffeine as the small, medium, and large espresso-based (espresso + milk + sweetener/flavoring, etc.) beverages. You should note that Dunkin’ Donuts calls their “double” espresso a double, but it does not contain 2 shots of espresso – it contains 1.5. If you order a double espresso elsewhere, please remember that there is 75mg of caffeine per shot of traditional espresso. For example, a Starbucks double shot will have 150mg of caffeine vs. Dunkin’ Donuts “double” with 97mg. Do not order espresso-based or espresso beverages with 3 shots of caffeine anywhere but Dunkin’ Donuts, as those beverages will contain 225mg+ of caffeine.

Check back for more caffeine and pregnancy related articles. And, if you like Starbucks, definitely check out the Starbucks Pregnancy Guide.